Thanks Becca thats how i feel … its way below backpacker standard and im not that fussy either just like it hygenic which its not there is that dirty smell covered up unsuccessfully by air freshers 
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Thank you Silversitters thats a great solution i will do !
Totes!! I cant cook on the hob until ive cleaned it thick with grease!!
I am a professional cleaner for holiday lets and always leave my sits cleaner than i arrive to them which is often commented on by HO but i dont expect to arrive to filth so i cant eat or shop not wanting to put my fresh food in smelly fridge !!! I have arrived tired and need a rest before i start cleaning which i would have anticipated i would do after i am rested !!
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Thank you Garfield your reaction and advice are fair and in line wirh my thinking … it wont be convenient to leave as ive come a long way so will do as you suggest and hopefully after a few days get it up to my standard in the rooms i use one at a time 
Great support i feel better about it already then will warn future sitters in review!
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No just an elderly cat but she has an injured forehead which needed anti biotics from a tixk bite apparently which i wasnt told about before arriving !!
Sounds like you have had a cleanliness experience too? 
I hope you reflected it in your feedback to help other sitters? 
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Always do now we have the improved review system
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Had that once. How can someone live like that? Thick grease on the stove top.
I suggested “hiring” neither a cleaner nor a sitter.
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Hi there,
I’m so sorry you’re dealing with that — arriving to a sit and finding the home in that kind of condition is disheartening, especially when you were likely expecting a welcoming, livable space. It’s one thing to tidy up after a pet, but walking into a house that’s outright filthy, smells, and has flies everywhere is not fair or acceptable.
You absolutely have every right to expect a reasonably clean and safe environment, especially since you’re there to care for someone’s beloved pet, not to deep-clean a home.
A few options you might consider:
Document everything. Take photos of the condition of the house as you found it. This protects you in case anything is questioned later, and it’s also helpful if you decide to involve the platform you used to arrange the sit.
Contact the homeowner. Be kind but honest. Let them know the condition of the home is far below what you expected and that it’s going to take significant time and effort just to make it livable. You can say something like, “I’m happy to care for your cat, who’s absolutely lovely, but I want to be honest — I wasn’t expecting to have to do hours of cleaning just to feel comfortable.”
Decide your boundaries. If cleaning for hours just to cope feels overwhelming or like too much, you’re within your rights to say so. You can ask if they have a cleaner who could come in, or if there’s any support they can offer to help bring the house up to a basic standard.
Reach out to the platform. Contact the TrustedHousesitters support team. They can often offer mediation or additional guidance, and having the situation documented helps.
It’s never easy to navigate these situations, especially when you’re trying to be kind and still do right by the pet. Trust your gut, set your boundaries, and remember — this isn’t your fault.
You’ve got this. 
Warmly,
Kytka
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I think issues arise due to individual standards. I have thought some homes were not so clean, but in general terms, they were clean. But not to my level of clean. I have never stayed in a really dirty house. Houses that I thought were dirty, but not really dirty as described above. I have been rebuffed in the forums, “was it as described” which means you cannot see if the kitchen cupboards are sticky to touch, or the carpeting on the stairs is going black from the original gray. Or they just didn’t clean the bathroom as you would have. So it is hard to define standards, if it is about the listing is “as described”.
Most of the sits we have are upscale beautiful homes. Some are low end and a challenge such as a sit for a graduate student with a cat going to visit her parents. It has been many decades since I was in college but I still remember some of the dumps my friends and I lived in. These sits give me the chance to fix a few things and give the pet some attention while the host is away. I am happy to do it.
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Unfair. They should hire a cleaner.
This would be my attitude 
@Phippscares, in our experience then cleanliness standards are more subjective than say external cameras. at a small minority of our housesits, we felt heartily underwhelmed by perceived poor cleanliness. related reasons seem to vary. sometimes it’s just elevated clutter (not on listing). as stuff-efficient, digital people then we get overwhelmed by lots lots “stuff” everywhere.
in our experience, some pet parents consider themselves employers of housesitters - and assign tasks (e.g. clean) and often “forget” to complete household tasks before departure (“can you just …”). We try hard to give such people a wide berth, but it’s not foolproof as some “employers” are lovely on video calls. We will not consider repeat housesits to such situations.
Hope that your situation resolves. We perceive that vast majority of pet parents and housesitters on THS are good people. And that good application criteria and video due diligence filter most bad people. But it does happen.
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I would alert the owner immediately to remedy the fly issue beofre they blame it on you. If they deny the issue and refuse to rectify, then I would contact THS to abandon the sit because the home is unliveable; take lots of photos of the filth and sent it to THS. I have had to abandon 3 sits due to pest infestations, FILTH, and hoarding. Photos were very misleading. If owners are lying about the condition of their home, they will very likely lie and blame you for things you didn’t do.
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